Legislation to Increase Transparency for Washington Patients Requires Immediate Action

SEATTLE, March 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A bipartisan bill supported by the nation's leading patient-advocate organization, the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF), that would ensure patients have access to vital information regarding their care, is at risk of dying in Olympia.

Senate Bill 5443 (companion bill HB 1683), the "Pay to Prescribe Disclosure" bill, was approved by the Senate Health Care Committee on Feb. 20 with a "Do Pass" recommendation. Currently, WellPoint, a national insurance company, has initiated a trial program in nine states to pay health-care providers $350 to prescribe certain preferred-path medications, and to continue payments as long as the prescriptions are used. These incentive payments are not disclosed to patients in any of the trial states.

"Transparency on whether an insurer pays a doctor to prescribe certain medications is something people want to know," said Jennifer VandeVelde, a health-care advocate who has worked in the oncology healthcare sector and a member of the NPAF President's Council, in her testimony before the Senate Health Care Committee.  

S.B. 5443 would not prohibit such potentially cost-saving measures, but would require that they be fully disclosed to patients who are making critical decisions about their treatments and medications. Washington would become a national leader in health-care transparency should the bill become law.

"This bill does not seek to prohibit the practice, but rather to empower consumers with the information they need in order to select the most appropriate insurance plan for them," said Shari McClure, director of Clinical Pathways, who testified before the committee.

S.B. 5443 would guarantee that patients know not only what medications they are being prescribed, but why. Such transparency is essential to improving health care and reducing costs. Co-sponsored by Sens. Bruce Dammeier (R-25th), David Frockt (D-46th), Linda Evans Parlette (R-12th), Karen Keiser (D-33rd), Andy Hill (R-45th), Pramila Jayapal (D-37th) and Maralyn Chase (D-32nd), the bill is now before the Senate Rules Committee and needs further action by March 11.

"Patients deserve to receive the best possible treatment throughout their deeply personal care journeys, especially when battling a life-threatening disease," said NPAF CEO, Dr. Alan Balch.  "Because patients must rely upon their physician's expertise to guide them through a decision-making process, it is imperative to shed light on financial incentives that may influence or change one's treatment options. S.B. 5443 is a vital piece of legislation that helps protect patients throughout the state of Washington."

National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) is a national non-profit organization providing the patient voice in improving access to, and reimbursement for, high-quality healthcare through regulatory and legislative reform at the state and federal levels. NPAF translates the experience of millions of patients who have been helped by our companion, Patient Advocate Foundation, which provides professional case management services to individuals facing barriers to healthcare access for chronic and disabling disease, medical debt crisis and employment-related issues at no cost.

SOURCE National Patient Advocate Foundation